Doctor Who (may contain SPOILERS for current episodes)

I hope she is still allowed to be suitably "Doctor-ish."

The Doctor is a know-it-all who generally actually knows it all. Strong-willed, confident, given to occasional speechifying--these are traits easily called "bitchy" when a woman does them.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let them keep all the Doctor-like behaviors that make The Doctor and give those traits to a woman. Don't let them make The Doctor all feelings and squishyness because they added boobs.

Missy was still The Master. Hard, manipulative, dangerous. Gender didn't make a difference. The Doctor can be the same way.

I'm so excited. SO excited.

And Cyia's post has me imagining a plotline where her dashing young male companion, loyalest of puppy dogs, turns out to be the Master's latest regeneration play-acting at loyalty. And I need that.

Myrealana said:

I hope she is still allowed to be suitable "Doctor-ish."

The Doctor is a know-it-all who generally actually knows it all. Strong-willed, confident, given to occasional speechifying--these are traits easily called "bitchy" when a woman does them.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let them keep all the Doctor-like behaviors that make The Doctor and give those traits to a woman. Don't let them make The Doctor all feelings and squishyness because they added boobs.

Missy was still The Master. Hard, manipulative, dangerous. Gender didn't make a difference. The Doctor can be the same way.

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I can see 13 *trying* to act like she thinks a human woman is supposed to, declaring it stupid and/or impossible, and slipping back into the Doctor's normal persona. I'd love to see a scene where she introduces herself as John Smith, someone quips that she must have said / meant "Jane" and 13 replies with a sincerely perplexed "Why?"

The episode with Capaldi on Galifrey showed that gender's not much of a thing on his home world, with the male guard regenerating into a woman, and no one batted an eye. She was still the commander, just a different gender with a darker skin tone.

(And EMaree -- EXACTLY!)

Okay, I'm not really wishing for a long line of male companions between the ages of 15 and 25 who constantly flummox the Doctor due to their romantic misconceptions of the relationship...

...but I'd take one or two.

They still managed to disappoint me because it wasn't Haley Atwell.

But I'd have been more disappointed if they'd just gone with more of the same.

Looking forward to a season of more interesting Doctor/companion dynamics (if I'd wager a guess, I'd say they'll go with two companions? One female because that worked great so far, one male so there's that, too) and very inappropriate sonic screwdriver jokes to make up for some of Matt Smith's. Funny that my mind goes there instead of, dunno., exploring gender issues...

I'm still sulking. The new Who, whether the actual choice or Haley Atwell, is just so bland. Missy was distinctive. Myrealana has it, exactly:

Missy was still The Master. Hard, manipulative, dangerous. Gender didn't make a difference. The Doctor can be the same way.

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And, no, I am not looking forward to a season of young male companions with 'romantic misunderstandings'.
Couldn't they have started with an older female Doctor, just to set the tone? Or, bring back Nardole!

frimble3 said:

Couldn't they have started with an older female Doctor, just to set the tone? Or, bring back Nardole!

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I'd love to see who would start bitching about Helen Mirren.

She'd be perfect! Even if she only did it for a season, to set the tone.

frimble3 said:

I'm still sulking. The new Who, whether the actual choice or Haley Atwell, is just so bland. Missy was distinctive. Myrealana has it, exactly:

And, no, I am not looking forward to a season of young male companions with 'romantic misunderstandings'.
Couldn't they have started with an older female Doctor, just to set the tone? Or, bring back Nardole!

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At least give her a whole minute of screen time before condemning her.

What tone? She's about the same age as David Tennant was when he started, and she's older than Matt Smith and Peter Davison were when they became the Doctor.

frimble3 said:

And, no, I am not looking forward to a season of young male companions with 'romantic misunderstandings'.
Couldn't they have started with an older female Doctor, just to set the tone?

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Oh, go to bed.

Don't mind me. I am, as I said, just sulking over the loss of ... everyone, I guess. I'm sure I'll like this one just fine once she starts doing stuff. Probably. Eventually.
If it matters, I didn't miss Matt Smith at all.

The Sun and Mail Online have been accused of being “reductive and irresponsible” after publishing nude photographs of Jodie Whittaker in articles covering the announcement that she is the new star of Doctor Who.
Reporting the BBC’s announcement on Sunday that Whittaker would be the first female Doctor, both publications ran articles about Whittaker appearing naked or topless in previous acting work, illustrating the stories with stills.

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Oh, ffs.

Of course they did.

F'wits.

mccardey said:

Oh, ffs.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

Oh please. How many of the modern Doctors *haven't* appeared topless on screen at least once in their careers?

It has not been fun in the fanverse on social media.

Hearing idiots blame feminism for this and thinking the big bad cultural warriors are trying to turn the world "PC."

The decision comes because BBC has been floating the idea of a female doctor around for decades. Hell, even Tom Baker brought it up in the 80s. I honestly never thought they would do it for fear of the massive tantrums.

They did. I'm damn surprised. And excited. I've loved all the doctors for different reasons and all of their companions too. Bring it on. Allons-Y!!!

RichardGarfinkle said:

The webcomic Full Frontal Nerdity summarizes this all very nicely.
http://ffn.nodwick.com/?p=1622

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Mind you, even in the comments there are posters who still Refuse To Get It.

Slight derail, but you know who I'd like to see as the next Doctor?

Stephanie Cole. By gum, she'd be good!

RedRajah said:

Mind you, even in the comments there are posters who still Refuse To Get It.

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I'm perfectly willing to allow people who're used to finding the Doctor a focus of their romantic fantasies some disappointment on this front. (If they'd done this when I was 15, I might have had a bit of a *sigh* over it. Don't judge me. )

But they're not the ones wailing about it all over the Internet, are they?

One thing I've noticed watching 12 very different men play the role is that the appeal of the Doctor is in the characterization: the confidence, the moral center, the crisp and confident body language. Each actor has brought a different spin to it, but (in their best stories, at least!) they've all managed to communicate the aspects of the character I find most Doctorish.

I've never seen Jodie Whittaker in anything, but that smile on her face when she looks up at the TARDIS definitely looked plausibly Doctorish to me. I'm in.

I'm going to really miss Capaldi because I adored Twelve and how Capaldi portrayed him. But if we have to lose him, I'm excited about a female Doctor! I don't know a lot about Whittaker, but I'm definitely not unhappy with the choice.

My main thoughts on the new regeneration (I'm sure I'll have more come my podcast tonight):

1. I'm very glad they chose an actor who's worked with Chibnall in the past. Chibnall is brand new to this role and the main reason I was iffy about casting a woman as the Doctor is that he was liable to make a lot of missteps in his first season, doubly so if trying out a new dynamic, and the actress was likely to be blamed by fans for all of them (see: Colin Baker). I think that this will cut out a lot of that "new dynamic" portion because Chibnall will know a lot more about what's already funny or serious about Whittaker.

2. I can understand that some people may be iffy about this (again, it's a new dynamic the show's not used to). I refuse to understand people who claim that this is the end of the show, or this is enough reason to never watch again, or any other dramatic statement that absolutely reeks of "we don't like women in these here parts".

3. This makes me happy Bill is gone. It's not that I hate Bill, it's that we've had a lot of companions having a crush on the Doctor and I don't want the first female incarnation's first companion to be that. It doesn't mean I'll get my wish, but it's a step. I would actually applaud if the next companion was a gay man, and I really don't care how many people tuned out as a result.

Trailer for the Xmas special is up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCkDXegqjR0